Double checking - what can I use on my face?

[MbMinx]

I just want to double check so that I don't screw up.
I know that I don't want to use petroleum products around my mask because petroleum and silicone don't mix. But I see lanolin mentioned. Can I use that? Is it because lanolin is similar to skin oil, and that's OK? I actually want it to get a "wet" seal around my leaking nasal pillow (The cotton ball plug is still letting air through).

Another question - I try to take good care of my skin, but I've let it go while I'm getting used to the CPAP, so that I don't use anything that would interact badly. But it's starting to show...Some of the night creams that I would use also have petrolatum and/or mineral oil (bad).
What about plant oils? hazelnut, rice bran, etc?
Other animal oils? Like Emu?
Or can I just do my face about an hour before bed and not worry about it?

A good night's sleep definitely will keep me younger, but at 40+, mother nature is starting to need a little help.

[ChicagoGranny]

I am also taking Cymbalta (A.M.) Geodon (A.M. & P.M.) and Seroquel (P.M.)

You think you could try gradually tapering some of these down to nothing once your CPAP therapy is working well?

See this article - http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/sty ... atgeo-doc/

7) Almost all mental illnesses have associated sleep problems, experts say. In fact, sleep deprivation is nearly universal in every psychiatric condition, from bipolar disorder to anxiety disorders.

Your drug therapy was probably inappropriate. You just were suffering from sleep apnea and stupid medical professionals don't know it.

Just know that now you have taken those drugs and your body and mind have adjusted to them. So you need help from a doctor to do a slow tapering off in order to avoid very bad side effects.

[Julie]

I see no reason why you can't use whatever you choose on your face earlier in the day so that it's absorbed by the time you put on your mask.

[MbMinx]

ChicagoGranny - I'm not asking about my medications.
Are you a board certified psychiatrist? Are you familiar with my case history? How many patients with mental conditions do you treat and how often do you prescribe medication?
It is VERY DANGEROUS to tell a mental patient to go off their medication unless you are a licensed health professional familiar with their case.

I was asking for facial care suggestions/advice.
Julie - thank you. I think I will just adjust my routine to give everything time to settle before I need to put my mask on.

[chunkyfrog]

Petroleum products, like petrolatum (Vaseline) and mineral oil would probably be inadvisable for use while in contact with silicone; but might be used at other times, as long as it is removed before masking up. Lanolin is used by many here, with no reported ill effects, and one could experiment with plant-based products if animal products were not desired.

[BlackSpinner]

ChicagoGranny - I'm not asking about my medications.
Are you a board certified psychiatrist? Are you familiar with my case history? How many patients with mental conditions do you treat and how often do you prescribe medication?
It is VERY DANGEROUS to tell a mental patient to go off their medication unless you are a licensed health professional familiar with their case.

You are right but so is she in a way and she forgot few things.
You should start a journal keeping track of all your moods and physical symptoms.
There are two issues here that doctors often don't touch on. One is that using cpap and sleeping right changes the way your body handles/absorbs medications. The other is simply the effect of decent sleep and O2 levels make on both your body and mind. A simple example is coffee for many people, most of us can now only handle 2 cups a day. For others it is insulin and other it is BP meds.
So be aware that things might change, keep an eye on your self and work with your doctors to adjust things a needed.

[ChicagoGranny]

It is VERY DANGEROUS to tell a mental patient to go off their medication unless you are a licensed health professional familiar with their case.

I did not tell anybody to "go off their medication".

How are your reading and comprehension skills? You missed this --->

So you need help from a doctor to do a slow tapering off in order to avoid very bad side effects.

I was asking for facial care suggestions/advice.

True, but once you post a question, you don't control what comes.

Just read the excerpt from the article and think about what BlackSpinner and I told you.

Or not.

It's your choice.

[jnk...]

I will not defend the poster who said to consider coming off meds, because you are right about that being very dangerous advice.

But perhaps the poster was trying to mention the related danger of medical professionals not alerting their patients to the fact that successful treatment of sleep disorders may change how a body reacts to meds. A good doc will work with you on that, even though it can mean a long process of retitration of meds. Problem is, many patients tend to blame sudden onset of med-reaction problems on the newly-begun CPAP rather than considering that the newly-begun CPAP may be a good thing that just requires reexamination of med needs as body chemistry adjusts to finally getting air and sleep at sufficiently beneficial levels. Consider it an interaction issue that may not be an all-or-nothing proposition, but sometimes is.

As to your original question, I am not a big fan of wet seals. Masks are designed to work up against skin. It is good when we can find a mask that is able to work that way for us. That said, do what works. And if that means replacing mask parts more often, then that's what it means. I would be more concerned about a chemical's effect on my face than its long-term effect on a mask. Masks are replaceable. You got one face, even if it heals over time.

[MbMinx]

True, but once you post a question, you don't control what comes.

I'll remember that. Thank you for the warning.

I am very happy with my medication situation and I am under the care of a very competent psychiatrist.
I am an advocate in the mental health community and people die because well-intentioned souls "suggest" that patients don't really need to take their meds or that they don't need as much, or maybe they need something else, or maybe they never needed meds in the first place because

stupid medical professionals

don't know what they're doing. That sort of advice kills people.

As you can see, I've taken my medication information off my profile.
I had put it there because it was suggested that it might have some influence over my CPAP therapy and that people need to know if I'm to get the best suggestions. I had no idea that I was going to get unsolicited medical advice on utterly unrelated topics.

MY READING AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS???? YOU apparently could not even read my original question.

Thank you JNK...my mask fits well except one spot that i am trying to figure out.

Since this thread has strayed FAR from my original question, I will (somewhat) respectfully leave it. And I will strongly reconsider asking any other questions.

[jnk...]

. . . I had put it there because it was suggested that it might have some influence over my CPAP therapy and that people need to know if I'm to get the best suggestions. I had no idea that I was going to get unsolicited medical advice on utterly unrelated topics. . . .

Meds can influence therapy and therapy can influence meds, so the suggestion on how to get the best suggestions had/has merit.

This board has a long history of unsolicited advice and observations from fellow patients on medical therapies, because it is assumed that's mostly what people come here for, although it often isn't. The disclaimer at the bottom of every page covers when we are too off-base.

The various posting entities associated with the granny's many identities are not generally known for subtlety or for diplomatic qualifications of stated opinions. Still, the sentiment behind "her" statements reflects facts often unknown by otherwise well-informed patients and qualified professionals alike, facts well-stated, in my opinion, in the following reference work:

"OSA patients complain of various neuropsychiatric symptoms. Cognitive impairment and affective disorders such as depression are frequently encountered in OSA. In addition, a high prevalence of other psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, somatization, ADHD-type, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms have been reported in these patients. Clinicians can also encounter nocturnal panic attacks, diverse parasomnias, delirium, psychosis, personality change, and violent outbursts in some OSA patients. Therefore, practicing psychiatrists and psychologists must consider OSA in the differential diagnosis of a large number of psychiatric presentations."-- Foundations of Psychiatric Sleep Medicine, edited by John W. Winkelman, David T. Plante; Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Color added by me.

All apologies if you and your doc are well-aware of the above and don't want any further reminders of it.

I wish you well in finding success in treating any and all of your health concerns.

-Jeff, not a pro, just opinionated.

(edited for subject-verb agreement)

[cnaumann]

From the Mirage Liberty Users Manual:

http://www.resmed.com/content/dam/resme ... er_eng.pdf

Wash your face thoroughly before fitting the mask. It is recommended that
you do not apply moisturizer where the mask contacts your face as it can
affect the mask seal.

also:

Do not use aromatic-based solutions or scented oils (eg, eucalyptus or
essential oils), bleach, alcohol or products that smell strongly (eg,
citrus) to clean any of the mask components. Residual vapours from
these solutions can be inhaled if not rinsed thoroughly. They may also
damage the mask, causing cracks.

All oils (including skin oil), fats, greases, esters (including lanolin), paraffins (including Vaseline), etc. will degrade most types of silicone rubber over time, however, silicone rubbers are generally considered resistant to (most of) these substances. The general wisdom here is to recommend lanolin and discourage the use of Vaseline. I am not sure what that is based on. Some folks claim that lanolin is safe because it is used by nursing mothers, however, the instructions say to remove it before nursing.

Likewise, inhaling non-water soluble substances in sufficient quantity can cause lung problems. This is true even if the product is of natural origin like lanolin.

Material compatibility is best determined by either manufactures recommendations or by experience. In the case of a semi-durable item like a mask, it is not an exact science. Obviously, you do not want to destroy them in a matter of weeks, but the mask seals will not last forever no matter what.

[ChicagoGranny]

I am under the care of a very competent psychiatrist.

Oh, so on your very first visit with him he referred you to a sleep doc for a sleep study?

Because if he did not,

7) Almost all mental illnesses have associated sleep problems, experts say. In fact, sleep deprivation is nearly universal in every psychiatric condition, from bipolar disorder to anxiety disorders. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/sty ... atgeo-doc/

he is not at all competent.

[archangle]

You should realize that the term "silicone" is a lot like saying "plastic" or "metal." There are thousands of different forms of "silicone" ranging from silicone grease to rubbery plastic to hard plastic materials. Silicone is basically a normal "plastic" or organic (carbon containing) polymer with some of the carbon atoms replaced by silicone.

Even among clear rubbery silicone materials, there's a lot of difference in physical properties.

Vaseline might degrade some silicone and not others, so try at your own risk.

You need to replace the silicone mask parts fairly often anyway, so maybe you can experiment with some of your old silicone parts once you get replacements.

[Therapist]

As you can see, I've taken my medication information off my profile.

You should put it back in. When you get help here, it is important for the members to know what drugs you are taking. This can make a huge difference in how problems are approached.

What are you taking? Plenty of people here are taking sedatives and antidepressants. There is no reason for you to be embarrassed about it. This culture of being ashamed of mental illness needs to change.

[chunkyfrog]

We can hope the "medical grade" silicone in cpap consumables is a better material than found in cheap cookware,
but there are no guarantees.